Unique Places in Ireland

I made a Google Map of the 10-day driving trip my sister and I took to Ireland. We were first-time visitors and petrified of driving, but we encountered absolutely no problems. We started in Dublin and did a loop to Wexford, Cork, Kenmare, Dingle, then Limerick. Sharing my map with embedded photos and tips for other first-timers looking for suggestions. Let me know if it helps!

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The beautiful Cooley Peninsula and Carlingford Lough lies approximately 1 hour north of Dublin and south of Belfast. The small mountainous region of Cooley is an ideal place to head to the hills and get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life. I live in the nearby town of Dundalk and just love to head up into the mountains to forget about the worries of the world!! The Cooley area is reknowned as the setting of the Ancient Irish epic the Táin Bó Cuilagne (Cattle Raid of Cooley) in which the boy warrior Cuchulain holds back the might of the army of Queen Maeve. The region is packed full of ancient archaeological monuments and sites of mythological significance and still retains a magical attraction today.
The Medieval Town of Carlingford is packed full of B&Bs, pubs and restaurants and makes an excellent place from which to explore the region by foot or bicycle. The small town contains 3 medieval castles, part of the old medieval town walls a ruined Franciscan priory and a medieval toll gate (no toll is charged) and church. The streets are made up of Georgian cottages and townhouses with few less than 200 years of age.
The hills and mountains behind the town are easily accessable and walking routes exist to suit walkers of all levels. Guided heritage walks of the region are available and are highly recommended to those seeking to understand this beautiful landscape and mans place within it. With views across Carlingford Lough to the beautiful Mourne Mountains and the Isle of Man beyond, a visit to Carlingford and the Cooley Mountains is always going to be enjoyed.

When we were in Ireland we visited a couple of film locations one was for The Quiet Man. It was where the bar fight was filmed "Cohans Bar" in Cong. While it is no longer a bar/pub, it is a gift shop and still much the same. We met and talked to the owner, well worth the stop.

Also, we visited the bar/pub (still operating) where "Moby Dick" was filmed and had a couple of pints. We met the owner and he gave us a nice autographed souvenir. Also, well worth the stop. We used "Terry Flynn Tours" to escort us around, on our itinerary. There are others too, see below but, we were very satisfied with Terry Flynn and have used them twice and will be using them again in June 2010. The next time we go we want to include other film locations too.

We used terryflynntours.com, they have US offices too. For comparison on hotel packages, B & B, other self drive & escorted tour possibilities, please operators see discoverireland.com.

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I don't suppose Aghagower would be on many tourists' places to visit in County mayo, but I add it as tip for one very special reason. In this peaceful village is a nice small park with a babbling brook that runs nearby the ruins of an old church. If you go and stand in the nave of this church, you will be standing in the place where I proposed to my wife.

We were traveling from Clare, on the way to Westport to meet friends, and I was searching all along the way for the perfect place. It was getting later in the day and by chance I took a side road and came into the Aghagower as the sun was beaming though the old stone windows of the church. It was quiet, except for the sound of birds singing and the brook babbling.

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The Iveagh Gardens is a beautiful and peaceful corner of downtown Dublin, seldomly found by tourists. The park, which used to be the private property of the Guinness family, is completely enclosed, with entrances that are somewhat hard to find (and probably regularly mistaken for being entrances to the nearby St Stephen's Green).

The gardens were designed by Ninian Niven in 1865 and are in the process of being continually restored. The park has several statues, both complete ones and fragments, a waterfall surrounded by tree ferns, an archery range, a restored Victorian rosarium and a maze.

The gardens are open from 8 am (10 pm Sundays / Bank Holidays) to 6 pm or dusk. There is no entrance fee, no cafés or anything to distract one from just simply relaxing.

Directions: Main entrance is from Clonmel Street (short street off Harcourt Street). There is also a tiny and easily overlooked entrance on Hatch Street.

One of the best experiences in my life is a trip with Dave with Wolfhound Tours. I am going on my second tour with him next month. He takes small groups and if you really want to know about Ireland and the culture as well as see some amazing places, sign up now! The website is http://www.wolfhoundtours.com/
I did the South West Tour and it rocks!

Pamela

In Rathdrum is located the Avondale House, the birthplace and home of Charles Stewart Parnell one of the greatest political leaders of Irish history and surrounding the mansion there is a magnificent forestry park of over 500 acres of tree trail ranging in duration from one to five hours.
Inside the beautiful Georgian House many original pieces of furniture where contained. Visitors are introduced to this wonderful historical house by a specially commissioned audio visual presentation. All this is worth seeing. But for me it is the wildlife that makes this location worth a trip. This place is great for a family trip as suitable for both children and adults. A wonderfull place for a picnic, outdoor activities, hiking and bikeriding. Most routes are accesible with a pram (so wheelchair as well).
Other facilities include a restaurant, book shop, picnic areas, children’s play area, two orienteering courses and large car/coach park (pretty expensive). Visiting the park is free, you have to pay to get in the House and to park (but you can park at the top of Rathdrum and walk (about a 15-20 minute walk). I recommend this as a great family location.
If you arrive by train: Walk up the main rd,pass Garda station on the lft and Parnell park on the right. Turn left at crossings (Avon motors). Avondale House is straight, about a 15-20 min walk.

Rathdrum is situated in the heart of Wicklow which makes it a perfect place to stay and explore the garden county, it is close to Glengalough, Avoca and the Wicklow Gap. Since it is situated high on the western side of the beautiful Avonmore Valley, it also offers the tourist majestic views of the River Avonmore, which flows through the Vale of Clara. The topography of this area makes it perfect for hiking.
Rathdrum seems a quiet forgotten town, with 60's climate and nothing going on. But it is a town with wonderfull greenery and foremost warm and welcoming locals. Since Rathdrum was the birthplace of Charles Stewart Parnell, one of the greatest political leaders of modern Irish history visitors are introduced to Avondale House and Forest, which is excellent for both history lovers and family gatherings (great for picnics). In the town there is also the Parnell National Memorial Park.
So... If you have some free time while in Wicklow visit Rathdrum!

Rathdrum is accessible both by Bus (133) and the rail. I recommend taking the train since it is much faster, more frequent and definately more comfortable. You can also visit Avondale as a part of Wicklow tour.